ignite, flicker, but don't fade
by fisherly
Summary: Eren turned his head slightly to the right, the grass tickling his exposed neck in the process. His gaze wandered, first falling upon what seemed to be over a billion tiny flames suspended in the atmosphere, flickering, but not daring to fade. /WIP. EREMIN AND SOME ERERI RIVALRY. SOME MATURE THEMES.
1. scanning: noticing: reflecting

_**ignite, flicker, but don't fade.**_

_**Chapter 1: A Taste.**_

The icy air of night carried along a subtle but bitter breeze that seeped into Eren's bones, gradually numbing his core. His body shivered, attempting to break free of the cold that slowly consumed it.  
The leaves on the trees were hard to make out, as dusk had little light to offer; however, seeing them wasn't a large concern of Eren's at all. In fact, he took pleasure in simply listening to the frail, paper thin objects rustle against each other in the wind. It was a sound close to silence, but a sound that often soothed Eren just the same.

Not often was it that the two young boys were able to leave headquarters at any time other than day, and they were both covertly enjoying the slight rebellion that came with sneaking out after hours. To Eren's surprise, the arrangement had originated from Armin, and even though what they were up to was quite a harmless activity, Eren knew he and his friend would be in a world of pain had anyone found out about their ordeal.

The two soldiers were currently basking in the faint moonlight, happily freezing next to each other on the lush, green grass in a secluded area. Silence filled the air between them, but that didn't mean they weren't conversing; their mouths were closed but their hearts were wide open, secretly soaking up each other's presence.

Eren turned his head slightly to the right, the grass tickling his exposed neck in the process. His gaze wandered, first falling upon what seemed to be over a billion tiny flames suspended in the atmosphere, flickering, but not daring to fade.  
The stars charred the sky above.

Eren's eyes became saturated with their audacity to burn, leaving a familiar but pleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach; a feeling that reminded him of Armin. The thought caused Eren to switch focus, his attention now upon the small form to his right. His eyes lazily scanned the other's lean body. Curious hues trailed over Armin's thinly constructed legs, and Eren found himself admiring how the tight fitted pants display the other's curves so openly. Eren stared until it had become almost impossible to look away, his heart nearly giving out twice.  
He began to notice things he never would have dreamed thinking about the other. He moistened his lips, proceeding to nibble at the bottom of his gums as the inspection continued. His small waist, his flat yet admirable chest- Eren stopped for a moment, his stare increasing as watched the other's neck move after each intake of breath. Was Armin's collarbone always this way? Had it always seemed so raw looking; pale, and exposed?  
_What am I looking at? It's just Armin's neck, isn't it? Then why do I… why am I curious as to what it tastes like?_

"Eren? What're you staring at?" Armin asked, moving slightly close to the other. "You're looking a little pale. Something on your mind?"

"What? Me? Nah, I'm fine. The lighting's probably just weird where we're sitting." he lied, beginning to feel the colour to drain from his face.

"We should probably sneak back inside; before anyone realizes we're gone." Chuckling, a grin formed on his face as he stood. "This." He gestured to the space around them. "This was a great idea, by the way."

Nodding, Armin lifted his head. "Ah- well, I just thought you might like some free time to yourself. Y'know, to sort of get away from the Survey Corps and all the commotion that's been going on recently, even if it was just for a little while." His lips curved upwards into a grin as he returned the smile, lifting his back slowly as he rose from the ground. Armin brushed himself off, then offered a hand to Eren.

"Need a lift?"

Without speaking, Eren grabbed the hand in front of him. It was soft, warm, soothing- everything he expected when making contact with the other. Armin pulled him forward with just enough force, and soon Eren was standing on his feet. Reluctance filled Eren's heart as he pulled his hand away, his eyes darting towards the castle that was their headquarters.

"Oh hey- Eren," Armin lightly tapped the other's shoulder. "you probably shouldn't tell Mikasa about this. She wouldn't be thrilled to hear that we did something this reckless. So let's keep it between you and me- kay?"

Holding back a smile at the thought of sharing a secret with Armin, Eren casually nodded in agreement as he started to walk back towards the structure ahead of them.

Facing away from Armin, Eren pursed his lip, cursing at himself for continuing to wonder what the other's gorgeous, porcelain neck tasted like. 


	2. suffocating: trapped: shocked

Eren's limbs were heavy with exhaustion. His eyelids were comfortably closed, in a way that almost made him look peaceful. From what he could tell with his eyes closed, the room was dark. Was it still night? Shifting his weight slightly, Eren flipped over on his back. He felt well rested, but could not sense any natural sunlight breaking through the curtains of his window as it always did.

Finally, Eren's curiosity got the better of him, as it always seemed to do.

Blinking a couple of times in order for his eyes to adjust, it didn't take long to guess where he was.

The dungeon was dimly lit by various candles. No windows in sight. Eren's mouth was dry, his heart sinking in his chest at the sight of his own wrists and ankles bound by iron chains. Biting his lip, Eren scowled. He had gone back to his own room after going out, and yet… of course, the Survey Corps had found out, and moved him during the night. Back to the cell, yet again. Back to square one.

But for some reason, Eren couldn't care less.

A sleepy, unsure smile began to creep its way slowly across his lips, first starting at the corner of his mouth, then, as he recalled the events of the night prior, stretching into a full on genuine grin. His throat vibrated as a very small chuckle was produced from the depths of his heart as the radiant thoughts flooded his mind.

Suddenly, he was hit hard in the chest. Eren squeezed his eyes shut at the feeling as he wrapped his arms around himself and hugged his stomach. He wanted Armin right now, right now, right now, beside him, holding his hand, rubbing his lithe hands along his head. He wanted his warmth. He wanted to be suffocated by his aroma, he wanted to choke on it; for the oxygen in his lungs to be replaced with it. He wanted his bitten fingernails, the calloused pads of his fingers. He wanted it all in that moment. It hurt not to have it, and it made a fury so strange and new swell up within Eren. Why couldn't he have it? Why not now? His existence alone was a temptation.

Eren gripped the edge of his blanked.

Each time thick fragments of the other nights' events oozed inside Eren's head, the shaken boy's greedy fingers would bite roughly into his palms, his nails acting like teeth puncturing the skin of an apple, clear fruit juice spilling out of the bitten areas.

The juice wasn't clear. _Red juice? It was red, wasn't it? Thick and hot, the ugliest, most revolting sort red. That's the kind of red I am, _Eren thought to himself for a fleeting moment_. I'm an ugly, angry, thick, hot red that never stops being ugly, angry, thick and hot. It's ongoing, never ending. _

_It ends when I'm with him, doesn't it? Yeah, it really does. _Eren smirked, tilting his head sideways. _I don't feel ugly, angry, thick, or hot around him, do I? No. No, I don't. It's… exhilarating, the way I feel around him. _

Eren pictured Armin in his mind; his face, his eyes, his hair, his body. His torso, his chest. His legs. Eren licked his lips, then swallowed. What he wouldn't give for his neck. _Ah, the neck._

A slight shiver began to make it's way slowly down his spine, an Eren couldn't help but put a cool hand to the back of his neck in attempt to calm himself.

_Did I... really want to taste his neck?_ he thought to himself.

All of a sudden, the guard positioned in front of Eren's cell poked his head around the corner ever so slightly. He turned, nodding towards Eren stiffly as if to acknowledge that he was awake, then proceeded to march out of the room; most likely to go and inform one of the superiors that the _prisoner_ had awoken.

Then, would come breakfast. He thought of Armin again, but with milder emotions this time.  
Part of Eren longed to see the others pale, distinct features, but now, he was also reluctant to even cross paths with him at the risk of exposing himself to the sight of his _neck_ once more. Why was it just that area that affected him so greatly and with so much _impact_ that Eren was even tempted to slide his fingers across its delicate surface?

Eren was now positive that he did not wish to encounter Armin until later in the day, or perhaps even the day after this one; only once his mind was clear and his thoughts were neatly arranged, like that of a library chock full of rows and rows of organized books.

"Get up."

Eren looked upwards, his previous thoughts drifting away towards the back of his mind. Levi's permanent frown whittled away at any intelligent comments Eren had ever thought, causing him to fidget with the hem of his shirt and his mind to go blank.

"We're cleanin' all day today, so buckle up kiddo. The whole place is fuckin filthy." he leaned against the wall, folding his arms as he spoke. "You can eat after you've gotten dressed. Don't keep me waiting, got it?"

"Of course, Corporal. I'll be ready as soon as possible." With that, Levi gave a slight nod and left the almost painfully quiet area. The sound of his boots tapping against the floor rebounded off the walls, the sound amplified by multiple echoes. Once the door was shut, Eren flopped back onto his bed, groaning slightly as he thew his arms over his face. The thought of cleaning the entire day definitely did not appeal to him; especially since the likelihood of encountering Armin would now be extremely high.

*****************• • •*****************

The process of eating breakfast went by slowly. Minutes stretched into what seemed to be hours.

Although the two had become accustomed to eating alone with each other after the downfall of the other soldiers, this time in particular felt... different; yes, an air of unmistakeable awkwardness. It was thick and suffocating, like a cloud of toxic smoke rising up from loud, bellowing flames.

Other than utensils clanging against plates and the sounds of teeth clamping down and chewing, no dialogue was to be had, and neither dared testing out their vocal chords at this moment. This gave Eren some time to at least _attempt _to understand himself.

The first second, Eren wanted Armin right there with him by his side, but the next, he wanted him completely out of his sight? Eren furrowed his eyebrows, an action he carried out almost automatically, as if it were a natural reflex to any feelings of oncoming anxiety. To Eren's surprise, Levi's gaze broke the silence. His eyes were practically glued to Eren.

Eren shifted uncomfortably in his seat as a thought protruded his mind; _why hasn't he spoken about last night? He obviously knows, why else would I have been moved from my room to the dungeon? I'm gonna get the shit beat out of me again, I bet. Fuck, all I did was sit on the grass and look at some goddamn sky-_

"Eren, y'alright? You look weird. Like your cat just died or somethin'."

Eren gave a smirk, laughing politely. "I'm fine, Corporal."

"You've always got that kinda angry expression plastered on your face, y'know that?" Levi pointed his fork at Eren, chewed, then swallowed his food. "It's freaky shit, kid."

"Haha. " Why was he making idle conversation? Why didn't Levi just punish him already? It was worse waiting, having the liberty and freedom to think about what kind of torment he'd be put through this time.

Eren quickly decided to speak.

"**Sir." he started, "about last night…"**

An annoyed, sour expression crossed Levi's face for a split second. He hastily found himself, replacing it with his usual apathetic look.

"It's… fine. Just forget about it." He grumbled.

"What? But… I clearly broke the rules and defied the Survey Corps' orders…"

Levi almost twitched out of sheer frustration."I said to forget about it. Why're you so hung up on it, Jeager?" Eren had never heard Levi so much as raise his voice a tone slightly. Taken aback, his eyes widened. This was very unlike Levi; to forget about something like this.

"Just… don't do it again, and you and Arlert'll be fine. Got it? I so much as see you two wander off on your own, and you'll get triple the punishment you'd usually get."

"Yes, Corporal."

Eren was not an expert at reading people at all. Levi's jealously was just that prominent, no matter how hard the Corporal tried to hide it with false anger.

Even someone as clueless as Connie could have seen it there. It was… oddly intriguing.


End file.
